Blimey, I thought the pompous self serving councillors at Oldbury had been a one off in their self promotion using a National event , but I was wrong, as it appears that their near neighbours at Rowley Regis were at it too in June 1953!

I have to state that I know less about this short lived dominion than that of Oldbury, but it is important given that at this point in time it encompassed The Rattlechain Brickworks area, and of course by now, the Albright and Wilson toxic waste dump of Rattlechain lagoon. Indeed, we see how rotten a borough it was by virtue of the crooked brickworks Barnett family involvement earlier in the Century as an “urban district”, notably Samuel and then his son William as “local councillors”.

I have acquired another “souvenir brochure” artefact concerning the Coronation of Elizabeth 2nd , this time covering Rowley Regis and it is a Maj macguffin that has been fairly well fingered at nearly 70 years old. This A5 pamphlet weighs in at 40 pages.

We get straight into the Rowley “royalty” before the actual monarch to whom the event relates.  😆

😮

This prologue states that this Municipal borough was formed in 1933.

We then get just 8 pages about the principle characters and the ceremony itself at Westminster Abbey. I don’t intend commenting on this, as it is of little interest to myself or this blog, but feel free to click if you are a fan of the Windsors.

 

And then to the interesting part, and as with Oldbury, the attempted link to the monarchy with the list of the councillors who made up the council. All male except for one Polly Pritchard. Some of these names I have come across in looking at issues in Rattlechain later in the decade, which I will talk about further on in this post.

 

I’ve scanned the side wards picture right way up.

 

And enter the bureaucrats, again all men except for the tea lady by a souped-up name.

 

A picture of the council house is shown. This building was demolished in 2012.

More expensive phallic regalia is shown on pages 18 and 19. The gavels connection to “masonic orders” is another red flag as to how these boroughs were run.

The centre pages reveal that “loyal and industrious” is the motto of the borough, but I’m not sure where the loyalty is directed to. Perhaps “loyal” to the industrialists who ran the borough for their own ends? There is also a potted history of the area with as usual the only notable statements being about rich families and industrialists.

It is revealed that there was a coronation committee headed by some old bloke Alderman with a resemblance to Albert Tatlock. Bizarrely they think it a good idea to site a children’s play area on top of contaminated land to mark the occasion! On further pages we are told that even this has some connection to a former councillor, such is the symbiotic relationship between those who bought their way into power.

There is the involvement in the affair of The Vono works, as well as others. A masonic lodge also appears to be in on the act, I just wonder how many of the councillors were active members?

The very British idea of street parties and jelly and custard and fun and games appear to be very prominent here.

The event occurred at a time when the monarchy commanded more respect than it does today, but I’m not really sure why. Events would last a whole week, and even an event in Haden Hill Park in July.

 

This runs neatly into an appreciation of this park building, again named after another singular wealthy family. There’s more info on this if you’re interested HERE.

A history board of the house and park is also on display in the park today.

The booklet is then given over to several advertisements for local trades. No doubt the councillor Shakespeare on the council had some direct connection to the Joseph Shakespeare company.

 

 

And to round it off pair of weapons.

 

Some of the councillors at this time have cropped up in articles and planning matters that I have seen when looking for information about Rattlechain and the wider local area. The civil servant S.G. Wood appears at a meeting in 1961 about The Vono works and their tipping area.

Rattlechain lagoon and its white phosphorus contents itself arrived on the Rowley radar in 1957 in a very interesting article “peril to children”.

Councillor Noah Edward Thorne, speaks out here about the fact that children could cause themselves great harm with a pool filled with white phosphorus waste.

Councillors Edward Wakeman, and Dennis Gilbert (subsequently Alderman), were critical of the smell that rattlechain was causing and which was detrimental to public health in this article from 1958.

But that said, obviously something happened in Rowley Regis to turn a blind eye to this and allow the “quakers” to keep on dumping their poison waste in their borough. Money no doubt changed hands here to buy silence, I have little doubt, or a trouser leg roll up and funny handshake were employed to good effect.

In 1966, the borough of Rowley Regis merged with the boroughs of Oldbury and Smethwick  to form the “Warley County Borough”, and became part of Worcestershire.

Eight years later, in 1974, on the formation of the West Midlands Metropolitan county, Warley merged with West Bromwich to form the Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Rowley Regis is now one of its so called “six towns”, and is perhaps best known virally for a single Street in keeping with a tone promoting pomp and circumstance, and also the berks in its charge.

 

In the course of investigating the Rattlechain lagoon story and its many historical facets, I have come across a collection of material as a collector of antiquities. Much of this has been about the vile polluters of Albright and Wilson, but the story of their facilitators in local Governance and their “society of friends” is also worthy of note . It reveals a great deal in how these circles of corruption operated and how certain businesses prospered in this web. Unfortunately, it is still ongoing today amongst the political class, with family dynasties operating out of civic society.

There is nothing more than these actors enjoy than an event, and there is also no doubt that one of the most prominent in Britain in the 20th Century was the Coronation of the Queen in 1953. In a post war Britain, this unfortunately served as some form of major “celebration.”  🙄

I will say from the offset that I despise the Royal family as a Republican, their monetary wealth and favour and their “sporting” activities which involve the mass slaughter of wildlife, both home and abroad. The coercive control that this aristocracy has, and its interwoven links with academia and the civil service make me puke.

I had no interest in buying the macGuffin item in this post for commemorative value or souvenir of the maj’s big day, but because I thought it would wield more interesting info on the political players in the former now defunct Rotten borough of Oldbury. For a tenner, I was not disappointed.

This brochure was supposedly put out to commemorate the Coronation, but as I have already alluded, the political players just love to jump on a bandwagon, and by their very nature, association with the ruling class. It was not a surprise therefore to discover that most of the booklet IS ABOUT THEM AND THEIR ROTTEN POLITICAL BOROUGH, and not the Queen herself!  Of course, Oldbury and the West Midlands have fuck all to do with the London centric Windsors, but why should that stop a bunch of trumpet blowing arsehole amateur politicians? There are several familiar names which stand out from the most interesting time of when “The Oldbury smell” took place, which now give faces to those behind the story. 

I will take you through this pamphlet page at a time. Click on the pictures for enlargements.

Right from the get go we get the pompous prick Samuel Melsom set out his credentials. Melsom is strongly associated with appeasing Albright and Wilson and even speaking for them in their defence in connection with the health issues and problems that they inflicted on the people of Oldbury. He was no doubt a shill of theirs, but one of several on this rotten borough.

I bet Lizzy was truly thankful that Oldbury was on hand to help out with the post war issues and “perplexing problems”- I mean this specimen was unable to fix the smell of cat piss in his own neighbourhood, so how he or others like him would be able to offer any hope or help in tackling the pressing issues of the day in the wider country, God only knows. 🙄

We are given a history lesson of this clan and its peerage.

Followed by a two page biography of the lady in question

Then another biography  on Nick The Greek and his inflated military career- promotion by his missis.

And that is that about the actual event, with the next 12 pages all about the rotten borough of Oldbury. Of course, what they attempt here is an example of linkage of history, to which there is none whatsoever. It does this by the use of repetition of words- for example by suggesting that the name itself is of Anglo Saxon origin. Mind you, I never knew that about Quinton, though it does remind me of my Chaucer and The Miller’s Tale where he caught her  “by the queynte”. I’m not sure if the Greek Prince may have offered a similar suit to George the stutterers eldest.  😀

“Manors” , and “Lords” , are intertwined with the desperate narrative that the borough was switched counties in the reigns of William IV and Queen Victoria by Acts of Parliament. They also throughout the booklet put the logo of Oldbury at the top of the page, with the Queen’s initials anchoring the page, and bordered by a purple regal glow. These are all political brainwashing techniques, with a white central hue of text filling the space where the Queen’s portrait appears on pages two and four. A subtle, but clever visual illusion trick to make you believe that there is some form of royal link with the tarnished town.

Of course , it isn’t long before we get the inevitable bigging up of the chemical industry in this area.

“…and in the middle of the century saw the start of the phosphorus works which have achieved international reputation……”  😕 

The only reputation that this stinking polluter had locally was that of its abysmal pollution, but this airbrushing out of reality is what the scum like Melsom were all about. The birth of his rotten borough in 1935 is also linked directly with the weasel faced Wilson family of the chemical factory.

What then follows is two pages of absolute shite pr about how great the borough is run and what it has to offer. There is the subtle mention of “well known families” who have donated pieces of land for parks.

“In 1928, the corporation purchased the Brandhall Golf course which is now run municipally. it is an interesting 18- hole golf course of 6,054 yards and extends over 105 acres”– well not any more under Sandwell council  😆

The other character that I have a problem with is Andrew Carnegie and his library’s. As I have pointed out before, this do-gooder gave books that he wanted the poor to read, and thereby framing their ideas and beliefs, and omitting books which were against his own views. To this day the propaganda of “local history” in Oldbury is selective and uncritical of its industrial past and more attuned to the civic society white lives mattered most movement in terms of tradition and civic political life.

It is a sinister statement concerning planning matters that stands out in the penultimate paragraph, and one can see to this day that the same sheisters now in charge of this still rotten borough are following the same trodden path as those in the 1950’s.

“This scheme, which came into operation in 1936, enabled the growth of those parts of the borough covered by the scheme to be controlled and to follow an ordered pattern.”  The Worcestershire County Council is now the local planning Authority, but by a delegation agreement with the county, Oldbury continues to exercise control over development in the borough. “

Worcestershire County Council, is of course heavily associated with the Wilson family and Ken Wilson in particular, whose Uncle, John William Wilson was also an MP in the pocket borough for many years; at one election unopposed. So what we see from this “order” and “control” is the role out of the Quaker Garden City approach, with Worcestershire of course enjoying “control” and “order” from the centre, and the shite of Oldbury being the development playground where the local wing bitches like Samuel Melsom’s get to swagger as though in control for the Daddies running the prison from the centre.

The events planned for the borough are like some desperate Butlins tie in. They even allowed “public dancing” in the baths car park after dark!  😮

We also get unashamed propaganda gifts given out to children in the shape of mugs. Women over 65 and men over 70 got a tea caddy and half a pound of tea. Don’t drink it all at once dears. There was also a coronation day lottery of births being given a savings account.

“Let its ancient glory flourish”  😆  😆  😆 

Further on, another heraldry lesson showing once again the rotten boroughs links to the chemical industry controllers of the town- this is revealed that the civic tools of office, pointless devices like the mace and mayoral chains made of Silver and Gold were engraved with the names of those who wanted to stamp their control over the people. Written on these are the marks of Accles and pollock and of course Albright and Wilson. The Mayoral chain even bears the coat of arms of the Wilson family.

Such decadence and wealth are of course tied in with these scumbags earnings as councillors in the days when business could buy you a place as a legislator. Park donating and other such gifts were the way of ingratiating  such characters into prominence in the community. They literally “ran Oldbury”. Pictures of these tribal embossed boasts are shown further on towards the end of the booklet. See below.

The one interesting thing about this book are the old photos of what used to be. The cenotaph is still there in Oldbury, but the flower beds have gone to be replaced by the occasional scruffy market, and the Sainsbury’s behind it. The large row of shops in the background have also now of course gone, to be replaced with the new rotten borough of Sandwell’s council house.

And then perhaps the money shot and gamble as to why I bought the book, a picture of the  councillors and Aldermen wh0 made up the rotten borough. This Picture contains an over-tracing with positional names written over for identification. I have not scanned this, but instead numbered each person and recorded their names below the picture. All councillors unless otherwise stated.

 

1 A.E Lee  2  O Arkinstall      3  Mrs E.M.J Gunn  4B.H Tarr   5Mrs R Starkie       6  Alderman J.W Bright  7 E. Harold Chief sanitary inspector   8 A J R Blackman Borough Librarian    9 W Hayes 10 Mrs M. E Garratt 11 J.H.C Marsh Education officer 12 Alderman J W Holland 13 B I Taylor Housing Estates Manager 14 Alderman J F Goode 15 W R Wilkes Deputy Town Clerk 16 H Jonson Mace Bearer 17   Kenneth Pearce Town Clerk 18 Mayor Alderman S Melsom 19 Alderman G W Rose 20 W H Hunter 21 L W Carter 22 J Mitchell Borough treasurer 23 Alderman Ken Wilson 24  Dr H Tabbush Medical officer  25 DD C McGibbon 26 Alderman B T Robbins  27 A Gunn 28 J D Beard 29 C. B Beck Borough surveyor 30 Mrs E Pine 31 R Hobley Deputy Surveyor 32 F Cooper 33 A E Roberts 34 J W Jones 35 T Swallow 36 H Barrada 37  W Hollyoake 38 F W Thompson 39 W Carter 40 Mrs D.M Hollyoake

Of course there are instant observations to be made. All of senior years, all white, and only four women. There are also obviously two councillor couples of the same name. The incomparable Mrs Gunn who rarely for a councillor actually spoke out about “the Oldbury Smell” caused by Albright and Wilson is present, in this the very chamber where she would waive her withered bush in anger at the fall out of the Trinity Street operation .

The pompous Melsom sits in the centre in his robes with the list of mayors behind him on the plaque. Nearby the rat faced Ken Wilson, perhaps the real organ grinder of this rotten borough still has influence via his “alderman” position. With his hands on the table, it is almost as if he wants to grab back the mace inches from them. What a c77t. 

On page 25, The pompous arse Melsom revels in his Mayoral regalia once again wearing his chain with a bunch of other assembled self important idiots. I’m not sure what the connection is to the other picture of a new housing development?

 

They also appear to be proud of their Langley baths

And Barnford Park.

 

Three further pages show off the previously mentioned civic regalia, just to rub it in for the hard pressed working class luddites.

The Carnegie Library is also linked to the Oldbury Grammar School.

The booklet is rounded off with the Mayoral board, showing the list of these scumbags starting with rattie Wilson and up to the then present incumbent Melsom, who subsequently appeared to have a spectacular fall from grace when he fell out with members of his own party. Seems a very modern day scenario that repeats itself that one in this most “socialist” of areas.  😆

The Queen and Phillip would themselves visit the area some 4 years later, and be received by Mrs Gunn’s husband Alf, who was now the mayor. I’m just glad that Melsom didn’t get his moment in the spotlight, and at least a fairly decent man did instead.

The rotten borough of Oldbury would have a further 13 years after the Coronation event before being merged with Smethwick and Rowley Regis, (similar), into the “Warley Borough”, and then of course in 1974 with the merger of West Bromwich, “Sandwell” was born, and it’s still as rotten as ever! 

Another tale of failed management, another tale of “Dr” Peter Bloore.

Quite why he was seemingly promoted to the role above in Albright and Wilson due to his absolute failures as works manager at Trinity Street is beyond me, but perhaps he was just so good at lying to the public that they thought he would fit the job.

These two separate incidents , again from his disastrous tenure at the helm as phosphorus commander both deal with a substance known as phosphorus sesquisulphide.

A short history lesson is needed about this substance, chemical formula P4S3, and Albright and Wilson’s manufacture of it, which started in 1898/99.

The dangerous use of white phosphorus matches paved the way for “safer” alternatives, with this yellow solid being one of the most well known. It wasn’t really “safe” because it still could catch fire very easily, due to the impurities of white phosphorus within it when the p4 was heated with sulphur. It’s reaction with water is also dangerous.

From “The manufacture and uses of phosphorus and some of its compounds”, we get the formula for the “strike anywhere” matches that used this chemical at 9%. Don’t try making any fiery explosions at home by following this formula now, yall  😀

This was without doubt a lucrative Albright and Wilson’s export line in the 20th Century. Some  studies however by J. FREDERICK BURGESS show how the sesquisulphide of phosphorus can cause series dermatitis issues when handled with these type of match material.

“This poisoning resulted in a recurring severe primary dermatitis about the eyes and face. In each case, loosening of the teeth occurred which may have been due to phosphorus poisoning. In one case a severe systemic poisoning resulted which cleared up completely on discontinuing the use of matches.”

canmedaj00663-0054

I’d suggest therefore that the term “non-toxic” is therefore another Albright and Wilson semantic argument which could be challenged. When it combusts, it forms sulphur dioxide and also phosphorus pentoxide, which Albright and Wilson have continuously lied about being non-toxic during their frequent off site releases.

As this post also shows, in the latter part of the century, they were still having problems with making it safely at POBox 80.

Two incidents within just a few weeks demonstrate how their farcical health and safety systems were not up to scratch. The first from 24th July 1989 Sandwell Evening Mail tells how firemen tackling a fire had to be “de-contaminated” after coming into contact with a fire involving the substance.

“The chemical is very dangerous when it dries out because it spontaneously combusts” 

It is interesting to see that the fire commander also highlights the real prospect of carrying the drying solid off site and the potential for it to catch fire thereafter. The only comment from Dr phosphorus is that it was used in the production of matches- a typical Albright and Wilson Bloore statement which basically reads as an advertisement and never an explanation or apology.

Well strike a light, if the same thing didn’t happen just two months later!

The same paper reported another fire in its September 11th edition. On this occasion, firemen spent 3 hours putting that light out. A large amount of the substance had again  caught fire, and one can only deduce from this is that it was not being stored safely.

Bloore promised an  investigation, like these people always do, but the paper failed to link these two close incidents which is poor journalism to be honest. Whatever this “investigation” amounted to, the method of disposing of the mess would not be investigated. It was simply drummed up for disposal.

The statement about storing it in water appears to very dubious as this chemical produces toxic gases when doing so. We do know however that their Gower Tip licence  SL32 allowed them to dispose of 2 tonnes a year of this substance at this site, as well as the linked phosphorus pentasulphide, and this tip was still in use at the time of this fire, indeed, the same firemen would be tackling a fire next to the Gower in the following year.  and expressing concern at the exposed drums of chemicals dumped there 😆

The main problem with phosphorus pentasulphide and sesquisulphide at this very “hazardous landfill” waste site is revealed in the waste management licence report to the former West Midlands County council who granted this “contentious licence” insanity back in 1978.

“I Background

This site is a former clay marl hole which has been used as an industrial tip since 1938. The site has received large quantities of toxic and hazardous waste since this time. These are mostly comprised of various compounds of phosphorus together with some radio-active wastes, laboratory chemicals, solvents etc. The site represents the major disposal outlet for the Company’s waste phosphorus pentasulphide and phosphorus susquisulphide.(sic)

These waste arisings are the main problem associated with this site since they are highly reactive especially with water. “

Of course, “the stuff used in matches” at The Gower tip remains buried there to this day. 

 

It never just rains over Langley, it rains toxic fumes and escaping gas from the terrorists based at PO BOX80. As the Sandwell Evening Mail reported on 7th December 1990, this capped an absolutely terrible year of accidents and environmental disasters for this company, and it can only have been as a result of the abysmal, incompetent and failed management.

 

 

50 tonnes of phosphorus are reported to have exploded at the Oldbury factory sending a cloud plume of toxic gas and vapour into the air, just as had happened at their Portishead plant earlier in the year. This incident is important as it shows the dangers of unloading this highly dangerous chemical from rail cars, like the situation that had occurred in Ohio with Another Albright and Wilson train wagon in 1986. It is interesting to note the copper’s statement about the escaping phosphorus situation.

“As it burns it gives off the toxic phosphorus pentoxide which causes irritation of the nose, eyes and throat.”

This is not what Albright and Wilson staff had categorically lied to the press and public about after the Portishead release, where they claimed that the gas given off, (phosphorus pentoxide) ,was not toxic.

The area around the plant was made “a no go area” after being cordoned off by the plod, as well as being on standby to evacuate homes . The two other tankers containing p4 also had to be removed to prevent any further explosion in a fire that was tackled by 60 firemen.

A company spokesman by the name “John Pickup” , who I must admit I have never heard of in all my long research of this disgusting company, (and I question if this is a misprint), claims that no lasting harm was caused to any personnel. Well they said that about Phossy jaw as well didn’t they- liars.

But where was “Dr” Bloore in this debacle? Hiding his face down the rattlechain whilst supervising the Cremer and Warner investigation cover up for his company which was taking place at this point in time? Now where did all that crap from Portishead go, did it arrive by train……#insurancefiddle?

 

It’s that time of year when the chemical polluters from Trinity Street start pushing things through doors, if they haven’t already, and distributing their propaganda rubbish about how safe their Top Tier COMAH site is. I’m sure this is where the pillocks in Government have borrowed the idea from in terms of their tier house arrest lockdowns.

An especially warm welcome this year goes to the “Brewers Wharf” estate newbies, who have yet to experience a toxic assault from PO Box 80, though the recently tested annual alarm, which they always fail to ever sound when there is a real event happening, should have given a warning of the things to come.

>>>>>>DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE CALENDAR BELOW<<<<<< 

toxic calendar 2021

Don’t forget,

The information contained in this calendar is important- please keep it in a *safe place *(preferably not in Oldbury).  😆

 

In 1951, Albright and Wilson celebrated their centenary anniversary of their official founding factory in Oldbury. A book was issued written by Richard Threlfall, which I have cited on many occasions on this website given that it reveals a number of rather embarrassing and revealing statements, though very little indeed about disposal of their toxic waste.  🙁

I have looked at how the two main families were not in any way philanthropic, but had a vested interest in moulding their communities by capitalist manufacture. This phoney social dependency made them elites, and they lived much better and longer lives than most of their workers who toiled with dangerous and toxic substances like white phosphorus. The two families descendants were fox hunting /hunting scum and were far from being poor downtrodden Quakers as the Threlfall book likes to portray. They were also ingratiated into the worlds of the judiciary, politics and health, and so could control and manipulate events to their company profitability, especially through their military supply links, where the idea that they were men of peace is shot to pieces. They also of course had many contacts through their ghastly cult and fake religion of “the society of friends”.

So it was perhaps fitting that in the 100 year anniversary, there was a gathering of over 400 elites at The Savoy Hotel in London, a world far removed from the squalor of their Langley factory, where the smell of cat piss as well as thick smogs blighted the area.

It is worth labouring this point as a choice of venue for this shindig. Though their head office at this time may have been situated in London, you would think that to mark the founding of the AW partnership, they may have symbolically chosen a venue in Oldbury? Obviously the area did not really mean that much to them, and why slum it in the West Midlands when the City of Westminster awaited?

The Savoy Hotel remains one of the most prestigious in the country , and attracted both celebrity and Royal guests at this time. Obviously the company hierarchy considered themselves to be worthy  of such “equality”, thus making the idea of humble Quakerism a complete joke.

This event is referenced in the centennial book from page 242 onward, but I have recently acquired a copy of the programme event of this glutinous gathering, and am now serving this up for your peasantry Christmas feast perusal.

 

In total, 441 people are listed alphabetically by name, (a true bevy of Etonian old boy ox-bridge mafia), and also then by table arrangement. A handy plan is provided in the centre pages of the booklet, with the 43 numbered tables arranged in rows from the stage. Oddly the numbers 13, 24 and 25 are missing. Perhaps they were a little superstitious, or some people had not been able to make it, so a last minute reshuffle was arranged?

 

THE MENU

Of course no expense was spared in the culinary department as the pretentious French menu attests, though I’m just surprised that there was no rôti de porc on offer. Then again, that would probably have been classed as cannibalism, and we can’t have the society of friends doing that can we?  😀

 

Entertainment was provided by ivory tinkler Eileen Joyce. Here’s a rendition to get Listz to. I wonder if she played it that night from the stage?

and there was also “comedy” from some cheeky chappy Bobby Davro impressionist called Peter Cavanagh. Oh how they must have roared as they sipped the champers.

But it just gets better with “the stars from take it from here”, a BBC comedy radio show. And not forgetting The blue room orchestra led by Carroll Gibbons.

THE GUESTS

The phrase “you a judge a person by the company that they keep” is perhaps fitting here when applied to you can judge this company by the company that they kept at this gathering. A veritable who’s who of the then chemical industry, a collection of family members from the two vile families and their society of Friends cousins from similar, and some politicians and civil servant/military top brass that they could no doubt call on to do them special favours. I think it’s fairly safe to say that there were no BAMES on the guest list that night. 😉 Here are some I have researched.

A. 

Harry R Adams, involved in managing Albright and Wilson’s food phosphate department and also AW offshoot The Antelope Company.

Sir Wallace Akers I.C.I bigwig, but also covert war agent for The British Government before this involved in the early design implications of the atomic bomb! Also instrumental in setting up the UK atomic energy authority. What a fine fellow in line with “the peace loving Quaker” background of the Albright and Wilsons.  😆

Dinah Albright, (born Geraldine) was the grand daughter of Arthur Albright, daughter of A. B Albright, niece of the grotesque fox hunter George (girls name) Albright, who was also a major donor on death in 1990 to The National Trust.

Rachel Ann Albright, grand daughter of Arthur Albright and daughter of John Albright, and sister to the pompous William Beaumont Albright.

W.B Albright and Mrs Albright. The war dodging shooter , cum home guard poser, creator of “The Oldbury smell.”  Mrs Albright- Evelyn, (nee Bromley) loved wearing dead animals, but once had a mink fur coat nicked from their manor.  😆 One can imagine that a multitude of skins were worn by numerous scags that night at the Savoy.

“Lord Aldernham and Lady Aldernham” – a hereditary peer, real name Wally Gibbs.  😆 Don’t know what connection they had to the phosphorus firm, but obviously very handy to have a Lud on side.

Roger Kenneth Allen from the Quaker family who owned the business Stafford Allen, and directly related to both families by their weird incestuous inter family trees. His company would become acquired by AW in the 1960’s.

J.O.M Alexander.  Another high up military character by all accounts- again a strange recurring theme for such a “peace loving” company.  😆

Maurice Antcliff Long time AW old boy and manager who left in 1935 to manage Albright and Wilson Ireland. Returned to Oldbury during the war where he was involved in liaison with Government officials concerning the production of war munitions. Also later became AW’s personnel manager.

B

Barclay x4 Presumably of the Quaker banking clan

Sidney Barratt Former assistant Director of research and chairman of the company, and also in the works 8th Worcestershire home guard as “captain”, I have his personal map of the area. LOL .

Kim. A Barton Former AW board member who became involved with the Midland Silicones company offshoot.

Edmond Johnson Boake Of the A&W later acquired company Boake Roberts, who made phosphate plasticisers and also fragrances.

James Bottomley Another Albright and Wilson board member at the time of this event. Also involved at one point with the offshoot London company Thomas Tyrer

Sir Frederick Brundrett Instrumental in getting jobs for the boys in WW2- “solider” scientists. After the war he would become chief scientific officer at The Ministry of Defence.

Commander Colin Buist, and his Mrs Gladys. Another naval man

Lord Balfour of Burleigh.  Another hereditary Peer hanger on. (George John Gordon Bruce, 7th Lord Balfour of Burleigh)

C

Paul Cadbury. Of the vile chocolate eugenicist Quaker family.

Laurence John Cadbury Another ” who was head of the chocolate factory from 1944.

James Campbell Chemist at the Widnes works

Wilson Carter AW board member appointed 1940 and assistant works manager at Oldbury during WW2.

Kenneth Chance Of Albright and Wilson’s long time bosom buddies and fellow Oldbury polluters over the way.

Walter Chance– ”

Alfred Chandler seconded from A&W into prominent positions within the Tyrer company.

Christopherson family-

Chemical agents and merchant company with long association with Albright and Wilson through The Antelope company.

Dudley Christopherson 

Harry Christopherson

John Christopherson

John Clarke Former General works manager of A&W and heavily involved with the production of AW bombs in WW2.

Dr W.R Collings of the American Dow chemical company who set up partnership with AW with the midland silicones venture.

D

Frank Dalton of The American company who set up an additives plant in Oldbury which was to produce the infamous “Oldbury Smell.”

J Davidson Pratt Industrial chemist and author of several books of a similar theme.

E 

Anthon Eden MP. 

Certainly the most notable guest at this event. He was chancellor at The University of Birmingham- the long time academic rat nest of Albright and Wilson.

Conservative MP for Warwick and Leamington and at this time in opposition to the Labour Government. Later in the year the Conservatives would win the election where he would become Foreign secretary. Albright and Wilson obviously wanted an on tap political figure, and no doubt he served this purpose.

He would become Prime Minister in 1955 and would be known as one of the weakest to ever hold office on account of The Suez crisis which led to a national humiliation.

Charles Edwards Of the Christopherson Antelope company and at this time Manager of the General chemicals department.

Sir Alfred Egerton

Another well published ex military man turned civil servant and wartime  advisor.

Harry Julius Emeléus

Inorganic chemist of some repute

 

F

Mrs F.W Fry

Possibly of the Quaker chocolate do-gooder makers?

G

Frederick Garner

Another University of Birmingham cronie.

M.B Geiger Vice president of The Oldbury Electrical Company of Niagra Falls – an AW associate company.

Norman Goodbody Of the AW associate Ibex firm based in Ireland.

H

Fred Hambly Of the Canadian Buckingham factory

F A Harrison Possibly relations of the company founder offspring through their incestuous web of marriage.

Harold Hartley 

An academic with a fake military seniority. “Later appointed Controller of Chemical Warfare Department, with the rank of Brigadier-General.”  Another uneasy connection with the so called Quaker “peace lovers”.

J 

Sir Harry Jephcott Big pharma Guru in the form of Glaxo laboratories- obviously well placed for the Albright and Wilson company. Also involved with Ministry of Supply during WW2.

Dr David E Jones Long time works manager at Albright and Wilson’s Widnes factory.

K

Hugh Kindersley Former D day veteran , businessman, and at this point in time, Director of The Bank of England.

Sir Norman Kipping seconded to government service; he was placed in control of the Regional Division of the Ministry of Production until the end of the war. Director General of the Federation of British Industries 1946- 65. Also apparently attended the clandestine cult of the Bilderbergs in 1959 apparently.

L

Sir Charles Lidbury A banker

M. Rene Liger Some Frog, who knows?  😆 

Sir Ben Lockspeiser  “During the Second World War he was promoted and worked on secret projects for the Admiralty” Say no more, right up the Albright and Wilson bows then.

Alfred H Loveless Albright and Wilson works engineer and part time British agent, who inspected the Nazi phosphorus factories for the Ministry of Supply, and thus gained insight into this when commercially updating the Albright and Wilson post war machine. The M in his name on this programme is a misprint.

M 

Ron D. Mason A research chemist at Boake Roberts. Also became managing direct0r of the company formed by Albright and Wilson after acquisition Bush,Boake Allen. 

Lawrence Merriam. Another soldier and later businessman.

Thomas Morson Of a pharmaceutical manufacturing family business.

Forrest Musgrave Managing director of the stinking Anglamol Oldbury Smell fame.

N

Professor D.M Newitt An Albright and Wilson board member

Ronald Norrish 

Academic and awarded the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1967.

P

K.R Pauley A manager and on the board at The Bristol Mineral and Land Company, another Albright and Wilson acquisition offshoot.

Dr. John Pedder a former scientist at Oldbury and later Oldbury Works manager.

Frederick G Pentecost Chairman of company Boake Roberts a plasticiser business acquired by Albright and Wilson in 1959. Albright and Wilson sold large amounts of phosphorous oxychloride to this company for the process. Interesting that he was on the guestlist here 8 years earlier.

W.E Keith Piercy An executive board member of the company and also a member of the A&W Home Guard.

Sir Raymond Priestley  Another former military man and geologist/explorer. Perhaps on the Albright and Wilson guest list as to his then links with their friends at The University of Birmingham where he was vice chancellor.

R

Professor Sir Eric Keightley Rideal Physical chemist and another war man.

E. Avery Roth A technical chemist at Albright and Wilson’s associated Thomas Tyrer works.

Sir Archibald Rowlands Yet another ex military then pen pusher at The Ministry of Aircraft production during WW2. Then later Albright and Wilson’s favourites- the Ministry of Supply.

S

Johann Schrötter

Grandson of the same named red phosphorus producer of Vienna, whom Arthur Albright conspired with to make a match business.

 

George Startin Of AW’s export department

Eric Drummond Viscount poxy name. 

Internationalist meddling do-gooder and Liberal politician, First secretary of the League of Nations (league of imperialists) – at home with the crowd at A&W no doubt. Snuffed it in this same year.

T

T.E Thorpe possibly a scientist who published papers on phosphorus compounds or a relative.

Richard Evelyn Threlfall 

Son of Sir Richard Threlfall and board member of A&W. Wrote the book “100 years of phosphorus making” of the company history up to this year.

Sir Henry Tizzard 

Another scientist /clandestine military man involved amongst other things in the development of radar. At this point in time he was chief scientific advisor to The Ministry of Defence.

“One of the most controversial meetings Tizard had to attend in his capacity as chair of the Defence Research Policy Committee would only emerge many years later with the declassification of CIA documents, namely a meeting on 1 June 1951 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, between Tizard, Omond Solandt (chairman of Defence Research and Development Canada) and representatives of the CIA, to discuss “brainwashing“.^{[7  “}

Fitted in very well with this cult then.

Brian Topley

Researcher and director of the company who would become most notably associated with the production of the useless AW bombs. His formula of benzene/phosphorus would of course be manufactured in millions of half pint milk bottles, which are still being dug up to this day, as dangerous as they were back then.

William Turcan

Executive officer at Thomas Tyrer- AW associate company

V

Wilfred Vernon If I were a betting man, I would say that this is him with his mad as a box of frogs look. Involved with The Home Guard training school in Osterley park near London – this picture appeared in The Picture Post dated 21st September 1940. He appears to be involved with training in the use of Molotov cocktails and the like, so right up the AW bombs street.

W

R. Bruce Walker From the A&W Canadian Buckingham factory.

Walter Wallace A former assistant to Threlfall in A&W’s research laboratory in Oldbury. Also prominently involved in the Niagara Falls project where he had retired in 1949.

Owen Wansbrough-Jones

Another sinister civil servant/pretend military figure who joined Albright and Wilson post war.

In 1940  was commissioned into the royal engineers, rising to the rank of brigadier in 1945. In the British army he specialised in chemical and biological warfare and also became the  “director of Special weapons and vehicles” in the Ministry of Supply in 1946.

After a series of advisory and administrative posts, he was appointed chief scientist to the Ministry of supply in 1953, until he retired in 1959. He was knighted in 1955.

His next job, a seamless transition in 1959 was as technical advisor to Albright and Wilson- a military supplier of phosphorus both during and after the war.  He was later to become executive vice- chairman and eventually chairman of the military supplier.

IT IS VERY INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT HE WAS PRESENT AT THIS EVENT AND WELL ACQUAINTED WITH ALBRIGHT AND WILSON BEFORE HE JOINED THEM, AND WHEN HE WAS STILL IN HIS ROLE AT THE MINISTRY OF SUPPLY. THIS ONLY SERVES AS FURTHER PROOF OF HOW THIS COMPANY WERE TIED TO MILITARY AND WARFARE ACTIVITIES. 

Cecil Weir Of the leather and hide merchants Schrader, Mitchell and Weir. Another civil servant involved amongst other things with The Ministry of Supply. 

Earl Whitford Of the Niagara Falls Oldbury Electrical company, and future president of this.

A whole batch of Wilson’s – descendants of the bearded wonder John Edward.

Of note

John Christopher Wilson Secretary of the company at this time

Kenneth Henry Wilson    

Kenneth Wilson was a long time chairman of this company, and when the company history was published he sent out signed notes to certain individuals with a copy of the Threlfall book. Also made the speech at this dinner, see below.

Y

G.H.Young A board member of Albright and Wilson offshoot The Bristol Mineral and Land company

SEATING ARRANGEMENT 

I’m sure they had much to talk about, like the price of phosphorus.  😆

 

The toast and speeches

Kenneth Wilson’s speech is given in the centenary book in its entirety between pages 243-251, which I have no intention of reproducing here. It is as the book reads, a sycophantic eye dabbing pile of bollocks, perfectly attuned to that of Napoleon from Animal Farm.

Perhaps the most telling quote from this man came towards the end  in respect of their workforce

“They all pulled their weight and set us an example of service and love of their masters and the firm, if I may use this term.”

Well of course they did.

There were also cigars and cigarettes on offer on the menu, and one wonders if the gentlemen later had an excursion to Great Ormond Street to continue their “charitable” work after some homoerotic secret society meeting down the lodge.

But fear not the excluded “servants” of Albright and Wilson, for according to page 251 of the Threlfall volume, a works do was organised just 11 days later for apparently over 300 members of the company at The Grand Hotel in Birmingham. I would suggest that perhaps they had just scooped up all the leftovers from the Savoy and saved them for the doggy bag scutters at Oldbury. More speeches were made by the usual suspects of the company founder piggy families.

With such a collection of the greatest chemical minds in the country gathered at the first banquet, as well as politicians and military men of repute, one wonders why they could not solve the issues of Albright and Wilson’s dirty waste stream, smells and the issues of phosphorus and its dangerous breakdown products which came out of the factory at Langley. Of course, they all conspired to dump the waste out of sight and out of mind in a former brick works pit in Oldbury as cheaply as possible, but as far away from where they lived so it didn’t matter. 

   “FRESH AIR IS DENIED IN BROADWELL AND CENTRAL WARDS”

1990 appears to have been an annus horribilis for the management of Albright and Wilson- the dirty Oldbury chemical factory based polluter. Not only did they have problems at Portishead with a major fire involving white phosphorus, but closer to home their wrath engulfed Oldbury pouring scrutiny on the integrity of the useless works manager “Dr” Peter Bloore.

The 13th February Sandwell Evening Mail reported on the scene, as an orange cloud engulfed the town.

It is difficult to see how Nitric and Sulphuric acid could be “mixed”- I mean aren’t these people supposed to be “scientists”?  😆 

Seven years later, the  newly created Environment Agency inspected the factory, though this incident appears to have escaped their predecessors attention at the Walsall council run Hazardous Waste Unit; how remiss when one considers that the safety systems supposedly in place failed miserably, and there was an uncontrolled off site release of gas.

Rarely for the A&W rimmers at WMFS, one brave sole actually states the danger and doesn’t try to patronise the local residents, but reverts to type on praising the A&W own fire service.  🙄

“It could have been a lot worse- this sort of acid can do serious damage to your lungs if you breathe it in.”

Obviously someone did nothing right when they mixed two very dangerous acids together! The policeman quoted however is another prime example of how this protected company could get away with scrutiny. It wasn’t “a minor incident” if this company had failed to contain the cloud within their own factory, and another chemical company had had to be evacuated! Such claims as “it was believed the gas cloud diluted very quickly” is textbook of the liar Bloore, and unfortunately his lies never appeared to be challenged by anyone in authority, or even a weak press asking hard questions as to why these incidents at this plant kept occurring time and time again in very quick succession under the “management” of the same man?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen an apology where Bloore actually stated “I’m sorry to the community , we got it wrong” or “It was all our fault” .

Always and forever the list of pathetic excuses amount to read as though it was circumstances beyond the control of management, or the attempt to play down the risk. Perhaps this is what linking the reporting of environmental incidents in a company to paid bonuses for managers for lack of incidents does, (as the 1997 EA report stated had been happening at A&W) .  

 

We all know that the jaw rotters of POBox 80 had a long and terrible odour issue, their trumps resembling the infamous pussy bouquet aka “The Oldbury smell”.  But events in February and March 1990 appear to have evoked the spirit of bagpuss as reports from the  12th February 1990  Sandwell Evening Mail attest. 

It is clear that this was a nuisance for local residents who had made calls to the emergency services about the stench of gas arising from the Trinity Street Albright and Wilson works.

Apparently, and as they always appear to do, the plod from the area play down the incident by stating that their mates down the road were just having a bonfire with some chemicals. 🙄 That the firm was “inadvertently” responsible for the smell is a priceless PR classic worthy of the many from the A&W archive of terrible environmental crimes.

But What’s up Doc? The following month we appear to get exactly the same occurrence as revealed in 28th March 1990 Sandwell Evening Mail. Once again the leak is blamed on a piece of equipment, and not the managerial methods and decision process for averting a statutory environmental nuisance.

It is now revealed that the chemicals being burned were pesticides! We now get the liar “Dr” Bloore in full head spinning mode, with the usual message that there was nothing to fear.  😆 I think I would have preferred to have a safety data sheet with the name of the chemical(s) released off site to make that determination for myself.

Unfortunately, this is the exact same bullshit that Bloore and others came out with when confronted with the substances at Rattlechain lagoon.

“It’s the stuff used in toothpaste”

Their “everyday chemicals” mantra is employed here again where they mention farms- which are not located in built up residential areas.

With so much chemical apparatus at their disposal, it’s a wonder they never found a suitable man sized bung to plug those troublesome orifices emanating from the toxic Oldbury bunker.

 

There has of course been a long standing “wind” problem at the much troubled Trinity Street factory. Bad gas – or more succinctly Toxic gas appears to have a nasty historic habit of escaping from the Albright anus of PO BOX 80. I detailed one such incident from 1969 involving phosphine release at this site. 

This article from 27 June 1988 from The Sandwell Evening Mail reveals more troubling information about phosphine gas escaping. This was put down to “a pressure surge in a reactor”  which allowed the gas to escape, instantly catching fire when exposed to air.

There are some observations to be made about this. This is the same P1 production plant that resulted in the   2009 uncontrolled release of phosphine gas which led to a far more serious incident.   There is absolutely no mention at all of this 1988 incident in the official HSE report and investigation where Rhodia’s cut and shut “rodder” assembly failed, as explained below.

One wonders on how many occasions before this event that there had been “pressure surges” in this apparatus, and why management had not acted upon it, or even if they had covered them up when their bonuses were directly linked to environmental and safety performances?  😕

Mention of the exact incident which appears to have occurred below is even mentioned in the 1980 planning application Ref DC/10316 for the P1 plant.

 

“A water seal tank , 0.6m3 capacity , serves both the convertor and the reactor to prevent overpressurisation of the equipment. This occurrence should be rare. If it does happen, phosphine would be emitted at this point where it would be expected to catch fire.”

I have looked at the historic production of phosphine and the installation of this 1st plant HERE.

The second is that Solvay  applied for an increase in pressure of phosphine gas in their hazardous substance consent HS/040 which appears to have been shelved?

Thirdly this is one of MANY incidents under the stewardship of “Dr” Peter Bloore, and as will be revealed in several future posts, his management during his time as works manager at Trinity Street was an absolute catalogue of environmental disasters and health and safety shams.

Below, from evidence presented by Rhodia to the HSE regards the Albright and Wilson built phosphine no 1 plant fire 21 years later. YOU BLOODY LIAR BLOORE! But just a reflection of the company he worked for.

Much has been made and still continues to be about the firefighting practice that the Trinity Street factory is prepared for with their own “fire service”, and also their alleged collaboration with the full time professionals, yet when it has really hit the fan, such as the uncontrolled release and fire involving phosphine gas, this was revealed to be a complete smokescreen, and a very worrying trend for those living in the shadow of the Trinity Street Top Tier COMAH site.

 

Historically much of the time, it appears that this volunteer works brigade ponced about in emergency worker wannabe attire having competitions with other works brigades in wacky races on sports fields. They were also not averse to deliberately starting  fires using toxic white phosphorus, such as this picture from Albright World demonstrated when they went to Rattlechain lagoon for an experiment.

 

This Bonfire night post offering from The Sandwell Evening Mail from 14th February 1986 shows another total farcical situation involving the absent Albright part timers, who were not on site at the time of a real fire at their COMAH Top Tier chemical factory, which at this point in time still had chlorine and phosphorus delivered by train into the works.  They were instead watching a fire fighting video at Oldbury fire station. 😆 You really could not make this shit up.